A week ago I went to London for my birthday to see probably the best show I’ve ever seen. It was amazing and the props were spectacular. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It was simply breathtaking.

Disney’s The Lion King was a film i watched lots as a child. I had an original Disney store soft Simba toy which you could turn from cub to an adult by pulling his hidden mane up which I loved. This was a perfect present for me.

I wore a bright orange off the shoulder dress with a Lion King necklace my sister brought me for my birthday from; https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SandyKissesUK. I was so happy with it.

We arrived thirty minutes early giving ourselves time to buy a drink, find our seats and visit the merchandise stall. I always buy a programme from every show I see so I knew I was getting one, I brought both the big programme with pictures and the little one with information. I collect magnets from places I visit so brought the golden lions head magnet. Also a beaker cup with straw, fleece blanket and a canvas bag.

We sat in the front row on the Royal circle in seats A19 and A20, it felt quite crowded and you didn’t have much leg room. As the show started I was unaware of how it would start and was totally blown away. I don’t want to spoil it for others so I won’t say too much. But I will say that I was so blown away I felt emotional and held back my happy tears. The beginning was definitely my favourite part of the show, it was magnificent. The costumes were amazing, singing fantastic and the whole performance was elegant.

The children playing Simba and Narla were amazing, such talent at a young age. My favourite character was Rafiki played by Brown Lindiwe Mkhize, she had an amazing voice and made everyone laugh. Also Zazu played by Gary Jordan he was brilliant.

Overall the performance was stunning. Its a must see show and I’d highly recommend it to everyone. I’d definitely go again to watch it.

A week ago I went to London for my birthday to see one of the most amazing performances I’ve ever seen. It was a singing, dancing sensation. Full and glamour, jewels and full of sparkle. The show was glamorous, energetic and such fun.

Disneys Aladdin was my childhood favourite film. I had all of the dolls, soft toys and kitchen wear. So this was the perfect birthday gift for me.

I wore a blue off the shoulder dress similar to the colour Jasmine wears. And wore my Aladdin themed necklace brought from https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SandyKissesUK. It was a birthday present off my sister, I was over the moon with it.

We stayed close to Prince Edward Theatre. We were only a short walk away which was perfect. We arrived at the theatre thirty minutes early enabling us to buy a drink, find our seats and visit the merchandise stall. (My favourite!). I buy a programme from every show I see so that was a must. There were two programmes a big one with pictures and a small one with information. I brought both. I also collect magnets from places I visit so when I saw the golden lamp I had to have that one. And finally there was an offer which consisted of a canvas bag, fleece blanket, mug and jasmine tea, so I brought that also.

We sat in the front row in the Dress Circle in seats A20 and A21. We had plenty of leg room and the seats were very comfortable. As the show started I felt like a child I was so excited. I had the biggest smile on my face. The music and singing was amazing, the dancing was brilliant, the costumes were absolutely beautiful and the little twists were great and worked well.

My favourite scene was when Aladdin entered the cave of wonders. The stage background was spectacular. Flashing lights, smoke, fireworks and lots of gold! This is when we got to meet the Genie played by Trevor Dion Nicholas. He was brilliant! Such a great performer. He sung, danced and was very comical. He defiantly lived up to the role.

Another magical moment was Aladdin and Jasmine flying on the magic carpet through the night sky. “Wow” is all I could say. Truly beautiful moment.

Overall the performance was spectacular. It’s a must see show and I’d highly recommend it to everyone. I would love to go and see it again!.

Here in Cornwall we have lots of beautiful places to visit, some free and some that cost. Luckily a lot of the priced places do a pass for locals. You pay one payment and can visit the attraction as many times as you like for the year. We thought we’d get locals passes for The Eden Project. We paid £20.00 per adult, £11.50 for a child and under 5’s are free. All year round they have different events on and it’s lovely to visit throughout the different seasons.

The Eden Project has two large Biome domes. One is a rainforest. And the other is a Mediterranean setting. Both beautiful in their own way.

The Rainforest is very hot so I suggest taking coats off before entering and leaving with staff at the coat rack. There is a beautiful waterfall in the steamy jungle and bananas, cashews and coffee growing. We especially liked seeing the bananas growing.

The Mediterranean Biome is cooler and you feel like you’re on holiday following the path. There’s story telling, wild vines, age old olives and the citrus grove.

On this occasion we saw the ‘Light Festival’. In the Mediterranean dome music and lights shon above. It was very calming and relaxing. We brought a hot chocolate and sat watching from the restaurant inside. My 5 month old baby loved looking at the lights, my 6 year old did get bored after a while as it was repetitive.

Theres a stage which changes with each season. From Easter Egg Hunts, Halloween little monsters party to Eden Sessions (Live music events). It was ice skating on this occasion. Probably best to pre book as it was busy and seemed to be very popular. Father Christmas was also there. We have been to visit him there a few years ago and I highly recommend it it’s a brilliant experience. They also have relaxed sessions which I think is brilliant.

Eden has lots of cafes and restaurants serving fair trade, direct-sourced and organic foods. I have eaten from a few of the kitchens from soup to a chocolate brownie to burger to a pasta dish i throughly enjoyed each and every meal.

The Core reminds me of a hedgehog with its spikey glass roof. In the busy sessions there’s a cafe but also home to exhibitions, art and school programmes. One large wall has fridge doors with letter magnets which is fun to write your name or a sentence. There’s also a small play area for young ones.

Edens outdoor gardens are beautiful to walk around with lots of hidden treasures. I think a lot of people focus on seeing the Biomes and forget or don’t realise there is lots of outside space to explore.

There’s also a Sky wire and Giant swing I’m not sure on the price but know someone who’s been on the swing and said it was great fun.

On the way out you walk through the gift shop which we love. We like to see all the recycled materials used to make gifts. We have brought a few of the instruments, the duck whistle is my favourite.

We really like The Eden Project especially on sunny days as we love the gardens surrounding the Biomes. With our locals passes we are likely to visit each season to see the new exibits. We’ve visited lots in the past seeing CBeebies Stars, Dinosaurs and Santa and cannot wait to make lots of new memories there.

Every year when the weather starts to get colder I crave Hot Chocolate. I buy what’s on offer at the time usually Cadburys or Galaxy. Using the same brand can get boring after a while so I decided to go and try some luxury ones and the usual brands I use to find the best hot chocolate yum yum!

The first place I tried was the home of Chocolate… Thorntons. I visited the Thorntons Cafe in Truro. A small cafe which had lots of lovely treats to choose from. I had a Hot Chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, which came with little chocolates on a miniature side plate. It cost £2.95. I sat in the corner to try not to get in anyone’s way with my pram. It took up nearly all of the space between two tables so I tried not to block the walkway.

This was by far the most chocolatey hot chocolate id ever tasted. Very sweet and thick. Perfect after walking around the shops on a cold day. The only thing I didn’t like was that they put marshmallows in the hot chocolate before the whipped cream, so after the cream had gone I swallowed a big gooey chunk of marshmallow. (Some people may like that).

The next place I went to was Costa. I went to Cornwall Services, Roche off the A30, where I ordered a Lindt Hot Chocolate with whipped cream from the Christmas selection for £3.35. It’s lovely in there, lots of seating, very spacious and has lots of natural light coming through the big windows. Perfect place to stop for a break whilst travelling or to meet with friends.

It tasted lovely, nice and chocolatey but I couldn’t define the taste of Lindt. I enjoyed it and have been back for another! Cornwall Services has a children’s soft play area and big climbing area called ‘Indoor Active’. Perfect place to let your children play and let off some steam.

I then went to Starbucks. Just off he A30, Fraddon where I ordered a Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate for £3.35. Its quite dark inside, with lots of seating but the tables are quite close together so I sat at bar next to the servers as I didn’t want to try and weave through tables with my pram whilst holding a hot drink and a plate with a cookie on.

I enjoyed the hot chocolate, it wasn’t too sweet it was just right. I’ve been back again as I enjoyed it very much. Plus it’s next door to ‘Next’ so perfect to pop in after shopping.

The next place I went was to my local supermarket and brought some Hot Chocolate Sachets. You add these to 200ml of hot water. I brought Cadburys and Galaxy 32p each or 4 for £1.

Both tasted equally as nice, the Galaxy one was smoother and sweeter but I personally preferred the Cadburys one which tasted more chocolatey.

I’ve heard of chocolate stirrers that you stir into hot milk, and found some in Lidl £1.29 for a two pack.

These were nice but the chocolate tasted a bit basic. This gave me an idea to make my own Lindt Hot Chocolate using hot milk and three Lindt chocolate balls.

Now this one tasted absolutely amazing! Perfect as I could taste and add more chocolate if needed. This got me thinking further about what else I could try and thought I’d try Terry’s chocolate orange.

This one reminded me of Christmas as I always get a chocolate orange from my dad. It tasted lovely and I even had a couple of pieces of the chocolate to dip in yum yum.

So I’ve decided if I’m making a Hot Chocolate at home I’m going to use hot milk and add chocolate. Then I can use whatever is in the cupboard or whatever i fancy that day. Dairy Milk, Galaxy, Lindt, Thorntons, Nestle, Terry’s chocolate orange, Nutella and the list goes on. You can use any bar or your choice to make the flavour you desire.

In Cornwall we have some beautiful sites to visit, some free like the wonderful beaches and other attractions like The Lost Gardens of Heligan which cost. Luckily for locals we can buy a locals pass. You pay one payment per person and can visit the attraction as many times as you like for one year. We paid £14.50 per adult and £6.50 for a child, under 5’s are free.

Onsite there is a restaurant, cafe, ice cream hut and shop.

When you arrive you park up and walk in past the farm shop to the entrance. I highly recommend wellies for walking, I made the mistake of wearing flat slip on shoes which were covered in mud by the end. I saw a lot of locals taking their dogs for a walk.

Once in the first thing you come to is the ‘Giants adventure trail’. All wooden ramps, logs and stepping stones to walk across. My son had a brilliant time balancing walking across them. He was a little worried at first as they were wet and slippy but his confidence grew and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

We came across a Giants head peaking from the ground! We thought he was playing hide and seek with us.

And further down we saw the sleeping Mud Maid. We crept past tip toeing and shh’ing.

We continued walking until we got to the ‘Jungle’ where the scenery is absolutely beautiful. Very peaceful I could have sat looking at that view all day.

There’s a small uncovered space to leave pushchairs and the ‘Burma Rope Bridge’ you can cross. I didn’t leave my pushchair so I couldn’t cross the bridge but the others did and I met them the other side.

The walkways are raised board walks surrounded by exotic plants.

We came across a big wooden play area on ‘East Lawn’ with a slide and parts to climb. (I couldn’t get a photo as there were too many children in the background). There were picnic tables around for me to sit with the baby whilst my son had a run around and played.

After a while we all decided to head back. We still hadn’t gone around the whole place but thought we could come back with the baby in the carrier to explore properly.

We came across different animals such as pigs, goats, sheep, turkeys, chickens and ducks. My baby daughter loved the animals it’s the first time she’d seen any. Her eyes were darting around looking here, there and everywhere. She was giggling at the noises they made.

We had just missed watching the sheep shearing but had the pleasure of seeing the farmer and his sheep dog round up the sheep. We were in time to see them being fed.

We then went into the craft tent where my son used pre cut potato stamps and paint to decorate a tote bag for the small price of £1.

We then made our way into the play barn. There was a table with a play farm to play with but my son headed straight over to the ride on tractors.

We spent the remaining time in there. We all had a lovely day and can’t wait to go back again! Now we have our locals passes we shall go any chance we get. The only negative I have to say is not everywhere is pushchair/wheelchair friendly and can be steep in places for people who struggle to walk. When I return I will use the baby carrier as I think it would be a lot easier for us.

One of my favourite Christmas films has to be Elf. I love the actor Will Ferrell I think he’s brilliant, he plays the main character Buddy the Elf. If you haven’t seen the film Buddy grew up in the North Pole until one day he found out he isn’t an elf but in fact a human. One Christmas Eve the orphan baby made his way to the North Pole in Santas sack where they decided to raise him. Santa later told him he has a father in New York City and Buddy set off on an adventure to find him. I could watch the film over and over i would never get bored. It is hilarious.

I have a love for theatres. So when I saw Elf advertised I booked straight away. I booked first row on the circle at Theatre Royal Plymouth. Great seats with a great view (there is a bar so may restrict view for some people). And cost £39.00 a ticket. I went with my two sisters.

I was a little worried it wouldn’t live up to the film but it was amazing. Great performance, the actors and actresses were spectacular. Ben Forster played Buddy the Elf, he played the part brilliantly. The whole performance was fun and had you smiling and laughing throughout. Me and my sisters thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have so many favourite parts but wouldn’t want to ruin it for anybody who is going to see it. I will say that my favourite character was Deb, Walter Hobbs’ office assistant. Deb played by Lori Haley Fox was hilarious. Every scene she was in I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

I had a brilliant time, lots of fun and giggles. I’d recommend the show to anyone and everyone. Perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit!

I’m the type of person who doesn’t embrace change. Only lately I’ve started too. Any time I go out drinking Im very predictable and always order the same drink and have done for the past 9 years… Malibu and Coke. When I was a teenager I drank Vodka and Sprite which I couldn’t touch now. I can’t even drink Sprite without my mind giving me the taste of Vodka eww.

I love Pina colada but it gets sickly very fast. I also like Sex on the Beach a mix of vodka, peach snapps, orange juice and cranberry juice. I’ve made it on a few occasions and got everybody drunk, as the mix of juice tastes very nice and on a hot day. You can knock back glasses of ice cold juice very easily. The juice can get a bit filling though. Also love a Bellini peach or strawberry I have no preference. Fruit purée mixed with Prosecco, lovely. Not many pubs sell Cocktails so I’m looking for something new.

Ive never really liked beer but recently found I can drink cider if it has a flavour too it. Here’s the latest I’ve tried…

I tried afew other flavours but these four were the ones I liked the most and will buy again.

The Stella Artois was the first cider I have tasted and actually liked. I tried this a while back and have had it ever since. You can taste the raspberry but it isn’t too over powering. It’s nice and sweet but not too sweet so it isn’t sickly.

I brought two Rekorderligs. One of which were wild berries which is very nice, the best mixed berry drink I’ve tried so far. I’ve ordered this in a pub since trying it and will continue to order it. You can taste the berries but like the Stella it isn’t too sweet and over powering. The other one was peach-apricot flavour. I love fizzy peach water and also apricot jam is my favourite flavour jam so when I saw this flavour I had to try it! (Usually I go for raspberry or berry as I know I’ll like it). It tastes amazing, I think I’ll have to be careful drinking this one as you could drink one after the other.

I have tried Kopparberg a while back but couldn’t remember if I liked it so I brought them to try. I tried a mixed berry Kopparberg which I wasn’t too keen on but loved the plain raspberry one. It’s very sweet and tasty could get a little sickly after too many though.

All of these bottles are 4% and best served ice cold. Perfect for a sunny evening in the garden.

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